10. Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Lifestyle and family history both play an important role in the health of your heart. As we all know, living with heart disease or any other heart condition may be ultimately debilitating and decrease your life span. The good thing from all this, is that most heart conditions can be prevented and/or managed if you know the proper lifestyle adjustments required.

Cardiovascular health is one of the most talked about topics in the medical, nutrition, and lifestyle industries today. Considering that cardiovascular-related diseases are the biggest killer in the world every year, it is a serious problem that thousands of specialists around the world are trying to address. However, as it turns out, some of the best ways to protect yourself from cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks, strokes, coronary heart disease, embolisms, and other serious health risks have nothing to do with going to a doctor’s office. You are in control of your heart health, because the most important elements in maintaining a healthy heart are the choices your personally make every day.

The things you eat and the things you do are in your control, and by altering your lifestyle and nutritional habits in certain ways, you can significantly boost the strength and longevity of your heart. Ideally, a combination of the heart health techniques explained below will make its way into your life to increase your health. If you can manage to implement all 20 in your daily or weekly life, then your ticker will be thrilled and your quality of life will surge dramatically. Let’s take a closer look at some of the very best ways to keep your heart healthy.

10. Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy1. Quit Smoking

Cigarettes contain a dangerous combination of chemicals, many of which have been proven to negatively affect your heart health. Also, smoking causes a constriction of blood vessels, which leads to higher blood pressure and an increased chance of heart attacks and strokes.

2. Exercise For 30 Minutes

Getting some regular, daily exercise can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease. And when you combine physical activity with other lifestyle measures, such as maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even greater.

Physical activity helps you control your weight and can reduce your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Try getting at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity most days of the week. However, even shorter amounts of exercise offer heart benefits, so if you can't meet those guidelines, don't give up. You can even get the same health benefits if you break up your workout time into three 10-minute sessions most days of the week. And remember that activities, such as gardening, housekeeping, taking the stairs and walking the dog all count toward your total. You don't have to exercise strenuously to achieve benefits, but you can see bigger benefits by increasing the intensity, duration and frequency of your workouts.

3. Stress levels

When things start going wrong, one tends to lose appetite and indulge in excess smoking and drinking. In such a situation, managing the stress level is extremely important. If you let stress get on to your head for long you will gradually decrease the number of years in your life. Talk to friends, socialize, slow down a bit and take a break. Enjoying your life to the fullest is the best way to keep your heart healthy and agile.

4. Increase Antioxidant Intake

Antioxidants are some of the most important elements of human health, as they protect your body from the damaging effects of free radicals, which can cause chronic diseases, as well as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown as much as a 20% reduction in heart disease when antioxidants are a major part of a person’s diet. Increase your intake of berries, nuts, beans, artichokes, cocoa, citrus fruits, and green leafy vegetables, all of which are high in antioxidants. Also intake of lean beef may also help in lowering blood pressure and reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases.

5. Eat Fish

Finn oil and other omega-3 fatty foods should be taken. It is very useful for the health of your heart. Fish, mackerel, sardines, fresh tuna and salmon fish helps protects you against heart disease.

In our modernized world, we are constantly dependent on smartphones, iPads, computers, television, and other technological advancements. many of these force us to not only be sedentary, which contributes to heart disease, but they also increase your level of stress hormones in the body and raise blood pressure. Take a break from technology once in a while and go out to enjoy the real world.

8. Remain Sexually Active

This may be a touch subject for some people, but in fact, remaining sexually active with your partner releases very beneficial endorphins and hormones in your body, counts as exercise, and has been shown in numerous studies to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and contribute to a healthier heart.

9. Regularly See Your Doctor

No one likes going to see the doctor, as it usually means you are either sick or concerned about your health. However, regular check-ups with a doctor can enable you to discover your “danger” areas of health and doctors offer beneficial and targeted advice on how to eliminate or lower your risk factors that can contribute to heart disease based on your lifestyle, genetics, and other contributing factors.

10. Get Good Sleep

Lack of sleep worsens blood pressure and cholesterol. Sleep deficiency also leads to increased stress levels, which also raises the level of inflammation in your body further increasing risk of heart-related problems. A sleep of 7 to 9 hours each night will help your heart stay healthy.